CONFORMATION AND ACTION 25 



The first, termed " cow-hocked" or " sickle-hocked," 

 is an essentially weak formation, while a horse whose 

 hocks turn out travels too wide behind. Both types 

 are predisposed to disease, such as curb and spavin. 



The tendons below the hock should, like those on 

 the fore legs, be clean and rigid, resembling a a fat 

 lead-pencil laid on behind the hocks." 



The tail of a well-bred horse should be set high on 

 his croup, and carried well away from the body. (See 

 illustration facing page 10.) The hair should be fine 

 and silky and straight. The dock or bony part of the 

 tail should be firm, and when picked up should feel 

 muscular and present resistance to the hold, as this 

 denotes vigor and strength on the part of the animal. 



A stallion should never be purchased except for stud 

 purposes. The average entire horse has great grit, 

 courage, endurance, and far more intelligence than a 

 gelding, but having something of a tiger in him he is 

 by nature a fighting animal and will be troublesome 

 on a place, and usually aggressive and dangerous to 

 ride. Although there are exceptions to the rule, very 

 few stallions can be depended on, no matter how gentle 

 or placid they may appear to be. 



The mare has certain advantages over the gelding 

 inasmuch as she has, usually, a stronger constitution, 

 and is freer from disease. From experience, I have 

 found that a mare when brilliant is very brilliant, but 

 she seems to possess the feminine prerogative of being 

 very variable in disposition, and many people object 

 to using mares on this account. Likj the little girl 

 with the curl on her forehead: 



"When she is good, she is very, very good; 

 But when she is bad she is horrid." 



